Technology developed and manufactured by Parker Hannifin can help operators of commercial vehicles to cut both fuel consumption and vehicle emissions. In addition, the new technology can reduce the need to run engines at high speeds to power on-board hydraulic systems, thereby helping to minimise operating noise.
Parker's Stored Energy Management System (SEMS) has been developed especially for use with vehicles such as refuse trucks and short-haul delivery lorries that frequently stop and start in the course of their normal working life.
SEMS uses proven Parker hydraulic and electronic technologies to capture the kinetic energy generated by vehicle braking systems, with the energy then being made available to power on-board equipment. This reduces demand on the engine considerably, which, in a typical application in a refuse vehicle, can translate into fuel savings of to 5 per cent - with a corresponding decrease in emissions.
In addition, the use of stored energy from the accumulator eliminates the need to run the engine at high speeds while the vehicle is stationary in order to drive systems such as the compacting and crushing units found on refuse vehicles. As a result, operating noise can be reduced by as much as 50 per cent, depending on the application; this is of considerable benefit for vehicles that have to be used in built-up residential areas, allowing them to be used at quieter times of the day or night when there is less traffic congestion.
The SEMS incorporates a conventional Parker hydraulic accumulator that is automatically charged every time the vehicle brakes; alternatively, the accumulator can be powered via an electronically controlled pump attached to a power take-off (PTO) point. The accumulator is normally linked to a hydraulic converter that reduces the stored high-pressure energy to the exact level required by the different items of ancillary equipment on each vehicle.
Overall system management is then achieved by Parker's IQAN software-based hydraulic control technology, which combines in-cab HMI units and joysticks with specialised sensors, I/O and interfaces to create a powerful yet versatile method of monitoring and controlling hydraulic systems.
SEMS is supported by Parker's worldwide network of manufacturing and customer support centres, with the company actively working in partnership with vehicle OEMs to develop hydraulic systems that add to vehicle performance, efficiency and productivity.